Brief naast een vaas met roos 1856 - 1897

This is Henri-Charles Guérard’s ‘Brief naast een vaas met roos’, a print of a rose in a glass vase with a letter next to it. The print was made using etching and aquatint, processes involving coating a metal plate with a waxy ground, then using needles to expose the metal before immersing it in acid. Look closely, and you will see that the image isn’t created using traditional mark-making, like drawing. Instead, the textures and tones are achieved through a subtle chemical action. This endows the work with its soft, almost ghostly quality. Aquatint allows for broad tonal areas, creating a wash-like effect. Guérard was interested in the alchemical potential of printmaking, which was then undergoing a revival. New techniques were celebrated for their ability to mimic the effects of painting and drawing. Yet, here, the appeal comes from the way the process itself seems to breathe life into the image. This print serves as a reminder of the depth of artistry involved in printmaking, elevating it beyond mere reproduction and revealing its unique aesthetic language.